BOXSCORE

Lisle, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team defeated Dominican University, 13-6 under sunny skies on Saturday afternoon at Lisle-Benedictine Sports Complex. Wheaton scored 13 runs, on 13 hits, with one error and Dominican scored six runs, on 13 hits, with two errors.

Wheaton improves to 7-5 on the year, while Dominican University is now 3-8. The Thunder will be off until next Friday when it begins at three-game series at Chapman University.

Thunder starting pitcher Trey Martin (3-0) earned the victory in five innings on the mound. Martin allowed five runs, with four earned runs, striking out four and he did not allow a walk. Senior Steve Dennison earned a save in four innings of work. The southpaw allowed one run, on five hits, with six strikeouts and no walks.

Senior first baseman Danny Pyne was 4-for-5, with a home run and five runs driven in. Freshman outfielder Desmond Cato was 2-for-3 on the day, with four RBI and two runs scored. Cato collected both of his hits in an eight run second inning as he hit a leadoff double to begin the inning and in his second at bat of the inning he hit his first collegiate home run, a long grand slam to rightfield. Drew Golz and Scott Mancini each scored a pair of runs for the Thunder; Mancini was 1-for-2 with a walk on the day.

Wheaton jumped out to an 8-0 lead with the big eight-run second inning that was highlighted by a two run single from Pyne and Cato's grand slam. The Thunder extended its lead to 10-0 in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a two-run home run to rightfield by Pyne.

Dominican scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning and added two more runs in the top of the fifth to cut the Thunder lead to 10-5. Pyne hit a RBI-single in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend the Thunder advantage to 11-5. Dominican added a run in the top of the sixth inning and Wheaton responded in the bottom of the sixth inning on a pinch hit double to leftfield by Austin Driggers to account for the final score of 13-6.